Latest / Learn Swahili with Fexingo / Swahili Cooking Verbs - Basic Kitchen Actions
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swahili with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. Ready for another small step forward? Lucas: Today we're heading into the kitchen. We'll learn some basic cooking verbs in Swahili. Luna: Oh, I love cooking. But I usually just say 'I cook' in English. Let's fix that. Lucas: Exactly. And hey, quick honest thing — if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many episodes. Luna: Yeah, it keeps the show ad-free and allows us to keep it small and focused. So thank you to those who do. Lucas: Now, back to the kitchen. The most basic verb is 'kupika' — to cook. Say it with me: kupika. Luna: Kupika. Lucas: Good. Now, if you want to say 'I am cooking', you say 'Ninapika'. So 'nina' means 'I am', and 'pika' is the root. Luna: Ninapika. I am cooking. That's easy. Lucas: Next verb: 'kukata' — to cut. For example, you cut vegetables. 'Ninakata nyanya.' I am cutting tomatoes. Luna: Ninakata nyanya. Cutting tomatoes. Got it. Lucas: Then we have 'kuchoma' — to roast or grill. Like roasting meat over a fire. 'Ninachoma nyama.' I am roasting meat. Luna: Ninachoma nyama. That sounds delicious. Lucas: Another common one: 'kuchemsha' — to boil. You boil water or eggs. 'Ninachensa maji.' I am boiling water. Luna: Ninachensa maji. Boiling water. That's useful. Lucas: And finally 'kukaanga' — to fry. Like frying fish or chips. 'Ninakaanga samaki.' I am frying fish. Luna: Ninakaanga samaki. Frying fish. Okay, let me try them all together. Kupika, kukata, kuchoma, kuchemsha, kukaanga. Lucas: Fantastic! You said them all correctly. Now let's use them in a little scene. Imagine you're at a market and someone asks what you're doing. Luna: Okay, I'll try. 'Ninapika chakula.' I am cooking food. Lucas: Perfect. Or you could say 'Ninakata vitunguu.' I am cutting onions. Luna: Ninakata vitunguu. I'll remember that next time I'm in the kitchen. Lucas: And if you're at a barbecue, you can say 'Ninachoma nyama.' Everyone will understand. Luna: Ninachoma nyama. I love it. Lucas: Let's do a quick recap. I'll say the English, you give the Swahili. To cook. Luna: Kupika. Lucas: To cut. Luna: Kukata. Lucas: To roast. Luna: Kuchoma. Lucas: To boil. Luna: Kuchemsha. Lucas: To fry. Luna: Kukaanga. Lucas: Excellent! You nailed it. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. Now I can talk about cooking in Swahili. Next time, maybe we'll make a full recipe. Lucas: That's a great idea. For now, practice these verbs. Try saying what you're cooking today. As always, thanks for learning with Fexingo. Luna: See you next episode. Kwa heri!